Leading world lister Tom Gullick became the first person ever to see 9,000 bird species in 2012 when he saw the endemic Wallace’s Fruit-Dove in the Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia. He saw 9,047 species on a bird tour there. Britisher Tom Gullick, 81, has been the top world lister since 2008 and has been birding for 40 years.
For years the field was led by Phoebe Snetsinger, who avidly birded while fighting cancer, and who allegedly spent a family inheritance in the process of amassing a life list. At the time of her death in an accident on a bird tour in Madagascar in 1999, her total of some 8,400 species was about 2,000 ahead of her closest rival.
There are an estimated 10,700 species of birds in the world and there are lots of birdwatchers who keep a life list of all the birds they have seen in their lifetime. Mine is somewhere between 3000 and 3500; I haven’t counted lately.
So who keeps track of all this? Well, the American Birding Association, started as a club for listers, is now a conservation organization but still keeps a tally of top listers.
How do we know these birders are being honest? Why not say you saw 8000 birds? Who is going to know differently? Well, there is no reason to be unethical. If you are alone and saw a bird, you write it in your life list and tell others, who will accept your word, although if it is a very unusual bird or in an unexpected place, they might gently question you. If I saw a bird but wasn’t 100% sure of its identification, I would not jot it down. It would make me uncomfortable to fudge my life list. Besides, what’s the point? I have talked to birdwatchers who have been mistaken in their identification but I can honestly say I have never known one to deliberately lie. I’ve been questioned a few times when I said I saw a so-and-so and a few times the questioner convinced me I was wrong. There may be a bird or two in my life list I thought I saw but actually did not, but I guarantee there are many more that I saw but could not definitively identify and thus are not on my list.
Does this unspoken understanding of birders trusting other birders translate into other aspects of everyday life in these days of all too frequent unethical activity? I think so. Aren’t birders the kind of people you would automatically trust? Ever heard of a birder robbing a bank, cheating seniors out of their life savings, shooting up a fast food franchise, or embezzling funds from Audubon? (Well, in 2004 the treasurer of Milwaukee Audubon did embezzle $170,000 from the organization, but I digress.)
Jimmy Carter, a well-respected statesman, is a birdwatcher. Most of our politicians are neither. Maybe if we entice them to watch birds, they’d be better people. (Aaah, who am I kidding?)
he paid me a fortune to show him the birds of SS Africa and Madagascar. His total is seriously dubious and I know this as fact.
Very interesting
Does anyone know how I might be able to contact Tom Gullick for a senior research project on birding?
Hi Stewart just to let you know I am his son and to let you know my father passed away last Monday night at the age of 92
For Thomas William Gullick, I was very saddened to learn of your father’s passing. Please accept my condolences not only to you, but the entire family. He was a good friend to many in the birding community. I made 3 trips with him in Spain and Morocco. And, he ticked his 8000th bird, Pigeon Guillemot, with me on one of my Monterey Bay pelagic trips. He will be missed.
Dear Thomas William Gullick, I was lucky enough to go on two of Tom’s bird trips to Spain and Morocco, when I was 16-18 years old (24 years ago). Together with my grandfather who sadly also passed away and was good friends with Tom. I still have great memories of that trips, in which Tom continuously encouraged me to look for new bird species 🙂 Unfortunately, and strangely enough, these are the only trip of which I lost my bird notes., I know that Tom also kept a record of the trip lists, but I am not sure if they were archived somewhere (online). If so, I am keen to hear. All my best, Michiel
Dear Thomas William Gullick, I was lucky enough to go on two of Tom’s bird trips to Spain and Morocco, when I was 16-18 years old (24 years ago). Together with my grandfather who sadly also passed away and was good friends with Tom. I still have great memories of that trips, in which Tom continuously encouraged me to look for new bird species ???? Unfortunately, and strangely enough, these are the only trip of which I lost my bird notes., I know that Tom also kept a record of the trip lists, but I am not sure if they were archived somewhere (online). If so, I am keen to hear. All my best, Michiel
Dear Thomas William Gullick, I was lucky enough to go on two of Tom’s bird trips to Spain and Morocco, when I was 16-18 years old (24 years ago). Together with my grandfather who sadly also passed away and was good friends with Tom. I still have great memories of that trips, in which Tom continuously encouraged me to look for new bird species 🙂 Unfortunately, and strangely enough, these are the only trip of which I lost my bird notes., I know that Tom also kept a record of the trip lists, but I am not sure if they were archived somewhere (online). If so, I am keen to hear. All my best, Michiel
How many bird species are estimated to exist worldwide, and what is the approximate range of the author’s personal life list?
This story captures something beautiful about birding that goes far beyond numbers. What stands out isn’t just the incredible achievements of people like Tom Gullick or the inspiring dedication of Phoebe Snetsinger—it’s the quiet culture of honesty that defines the birding community.
What an extraordinary journey in the world of birding. When Tom Gullick reached the milestone of 9,000 species with the endemic Wallace’s Fruit-Dove in Indonesia, it wasn’t just about numbers—it was about decades of patience, passion, and persistence.
This piece captures something deeper than just record-breaking—it highlights the quiet integrity woven into birding culture. The idea that thousands of sightings are largely self-reported, yet widely trusted, says a lot about the kind of people drawn to this pursuit. It’s not about competition in the usual sense, but about patience, curiosity, and personal honesty.
What stands out most isn’t just the staggering number of species, but the quiet integrity behind it all. Birding, at its core, feels less like a competition and more like a lifelong conversation with nature—one where honesty matters more than numbers.
Tom Gullick’s extraordinary journey to spotting over 9,000 bird species is a remarkable testament to passion, patience, and a lifetime devoted to exploration. In a world where records often celebrate speed or power, birding honors curiosity, discipline, and a deep respect for nature’s diversity. The legacy of legends like Gullick and Phoebe Snetsinger shows that birdwatching is far more than a hobby—it’s a pursuit shaped by honesty, wonder, and perseverance.
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Just caught this piece about Tom Gullick hitting 9047 bird species back in 2012 and honestly kind of blows my mind-oh wait, flexible cardan shafts, right? Anyway, the part where he saw that Wallace’s Fruit-Dove in the Tanimbar Islands got me thinking maybe I should actually start counting my own list instead of just guessing between 3000 and 3500.